Loose-leaf binder.



PATENTED JAN. 15; 1907 J. G. DAWSON.

LOOSE LEAF BINDER.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 16, 1906.

inarrnn sragn sg PATENT orrron JAMES o. DAWSON, OF sr. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR' TO smear: & TRUSSELL MNFG. 00., A CORPORATION F MISSOURI.

LQOSE-LEAF BINDER.

Specification of Letters Batent.

Patented Jan. 1 5, 1907.

Application filed July 16, 1906- Serial No. 326,382.

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JAMES C. DAWSON, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of St. Louis, State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Loose-Leaf Binders, of which the following is a specification and which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, forming a part thereof.

The invention relates to that class of looseleaf binders in which there is provided a pair of cover-boards flexibly attached to a back member, this back member carrying arches, usually in ring form,upon which the leaves to be bound together are secured.

The invention relates directly to the stiff fly-sheet or follower used in devices of this land for facilitating the movement of the leaves upon the arches as the book is closed, its object bein to provide a fly or follower in a book of this dharacter which will slide freely on the arches and will prevent the mutilation of the sheets.

Flies or followers of this character heretofore used have been provided either with a round or oblong aperture for receiving the arch. The oblong form of aperture provides for a more free movement of the follower, but permits the mutilation of the sheets.

The invention consists in the device as hereinafter described and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a full view of the inner face of the improved follower. Fig. 2 is a section of the follower on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the binder, taken on this line 2 2 of Fig. 1,through the follower. Fig. 4 is a detail sectional view of the binder, showing a modified form of follower. Fig. 5 is a detail face view of the form of follower shown in Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a transverse section of the follower, a detail of one of the arches of the binder being shown, this figure being drawn on an enlarged scale. Fig. 7, is a detail of a sheet used in a binder of. this forni, and Figs. 8 and 9 show a further modifioation.

The binder comprises theside plates 10 11 and the back-section 12, to which the side plates are hinged. A plurality of arches 13 (onlv one of which is shown) are carried by the back member 12 in an suitable manner. The sheets 14 tobe bound together are perforated, as shown at 15, to receive and slide upon the arches.

It has been found in practice that unless a V stiff fly or follower is mounted with the diameter being upon the radius of the arch. .Such an aperture, however, does not afford proper support for the limp sheets adjacent their perforations, and the binding of these sheets upon the arch causes them to tear, as indicated at 16, upwardly fromtheir apertures. This difficulty I'have overcome by making the follower of two thicknesses of material, as shown at 17 18, and binding them together, as by means of rivets 19. Each of the "plates 17 18 is provided With-oblong apertures for receiving the arches, as shown at 20 21, these apertures, however, being offset radially as to the arch to such an extent that the opening for the arch is substantially circular, being bounded by the inner end of one aperture, as 20, and by the outer end of the other aperture, as 21. As the follower when thus made is advanced in closing the book its points of contact 22 23 with the arch are further removed from parallelisni with the arch than would be true were the follower of a single thickness and provided with a circular aperture of the same size as that obtained in the manner described,

and hence the tendency to bind upon the v arch is greatly lessened.

The advantages of the circular aperture in that a better support is provided for the limp leaves is, however, secured. The follower will slide as freely along the arch as if the aperture were oval and as effectually protects them from injury asif the aperture wlere round and formed in a single sheet or p ate. a

The same result is secured in the modified form of construction illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5, wherein a follower 24' of a single thickness is shown and is provided with a round aperture 25, which, however, -extends obliquely through the-plate, the latterheingmade of material of greater thickness thali when the. two lates are employed. I Idoinot regaril this 'orm of 'construotion,howeveigfes desirable as that'illustrated in Figs. 1, 2, 3, enol'fi,

as it. rovideswlmife-edges for the aperture,

and 1; ese edges are liable to become work or broken. 1

'A still further 11110dificsftio'nis shown in.

Figs. 8 and9, 1'11 which the same-action is ob-- tained by at slightly "different form,;of*construotion. The aperture in this irfstance is round;- butthe beta-(l is depressed immedietely above the aperture, asshown at 26, and 1s ralsed immediately-below the aperture, as

shown et- 27 therebyoflsetting the lower and upper sides of the aperture end' bringing the pint of contact 22 and'23'substantially into me, "as in the ease of the form of construction shownln Figsj l, 2', 3-, and 6.-

, The severelforms are geneneelly alike that the axis of the aperture ineeohinstence" n; .Witnesses;

is oblique to the plane of the piste.

q 'ue to the surfaee 0 the follower.

combination, a pluralit .;-to ethe and each having an oblong ereh- "ofiset redia VJALESQDAWSQNQ Phi? 3,5. In'wa, follower for loose-leaf. books, in-

' of plates secured anereh-receiving'a erture whose axis i ob i '4 rer ze iviitigv etgerture the. major diameter of s concibimttion, its-pair of plates' seoured to i vgethez ;eegflci plate haying argh reoeiving ap- I erture's eoe emtin iafie tm-fes of the two yasto the aches. 5 

